RYDE School has lodged an appeal against the Isle of Wight Council's refusal of its controversial boarding house plans.

Planning chiefs went against officer recommendation and turned down the school's proposal for a three-storey boarding house, providing accommodation for 68 pupils and staff, within its grounds, in August.

The school, off Queens Road, said the building had been designed to a high specification using high-quality materials to give a visually appealing appearance.

However, members of the planning committee were concerned the design was at odds with the surrounding conservation area.

In the appeal, planning agent Martha James states: "An extensive investigation of the conservation area and local listed buildings led to a quality design which was highly sympathetic to the scale and materials of other buildings in the area."

She added: "With most properties orientated to face the Solent, a new building of three storeys some distance from the seafront would barely be noticeable by most residents once the tree planting proposed in the application became mature."

Ryde Town Council raised 12 objections to the plans which also attracted more than 50 objections from residents and sparked the formation of protest group, Ryde Against Boarding House.

People have until December 22 to comment on the appeal.